Aug
25
Written by:
Greater Louisville Project
8/25/2010 8:56 PM
What Makes a Neighborhood?
By Joe Gliessner
After spending my college years away from home I was convinced that I could live anywhere. I was independent and could easily make friends with nearly anyone. It took me three years to find my way back home to Louisville. Though I've been back home for almost 40 years I still remember telling people that I moved home because I knew where the good hardware stores were.
Hardware stores are where I go for ideas and advice. Today it's Oscar's. In other years it was J-Town, Chism, St. Matthew's, Fleischer's, Bonnycastle, Keith's and Horton's. After my grandfather retired from American Tobacco at age 65 he went to work at Fleischer’s Hardware and worked there into his 80's. I loved hanging out there with him. People would come in there with "fix-it" questions, looking for "Charlie". Today I find myself on many Saturdays at Oscar's looking for inspiration to try something new or getting the latest prediction about UL Football with the owner or a customer.
What makes hardware stores special are the people.
I live in a special neighborhood between Grinstead Drive and Lexington Road where block parties and progressive dinners are an important part of our social life. Next Saturday we are invited to a "Homegrown Potluck Lunch" where each family brings a dish containing at least one ingredient grown in their yards.
What makes Neighborhoods special are people.
For the last 24 years I have been fortunate enough to work for New Directions Housing Corporation, a community development corporation with the charge to "Make Community Happen”. While much of our work is about the physical environment of neighborhoods, we must never lose sight of the people component.
Louisville is blessed with not just neighborhoods but with vibrant communities where people work, play and live. Communities are where people share ideas, tools, food and labor. Where they cheer the success of children and support the needs of the elderly.
Welcome Home, Louisville!
Check out ‘Wataga Block Party’ at http://gallery.me.com/gliessnerj/100026
Joe Gliessner is a recovering Chemical Engineer, former teacher at Trinity High School, amateur economist, woodworker, technology "early adopter" and smitten step-grandfather ("Grand-Dude").
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2 comments so far...
Re: Thinking Deeper with Joe Gliessner
Joe, I really enjoyed reading your thoughts in this post. Thank you! (And thanks to my parents for suggesting that you send it along to me.) As someone who loves a sense of community (and potlucks!), and someone who is moving back to KY in a few months, these were welcome words to read!
By Stacie S on
8/29/2010 4:54 PM
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Re: Thinking Deeper with Joe Gliessner
Joe, I loved the article and the pictures are wonderful. I've been to every state in the nation except.......Kentucky. I'm looking forward to meeting you next week at the Community Leadership Institute.
By Brenda Pollard on
10/14/2010 12:55 PM
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